Carpenter Square Theatre Suffers Major Losses in Oklahoma Fire

A fire in Oklahoma caused damage to the Carpenter Square Theatre on Tuesday night, The Oklahoman reports.

The theatre lost the majority of its costumes, props and furniture in the fire but, Rick Allen Lippert, chair of the theatre's board of directors, believes that the show must go on.

"We're not canceling anything," Lippert said. "We're survivors ... and we make magic happen all the time. Theater is magic, and that's what we do. We will turn this around and make it even better."

The nonprofit community theater also lost set pieces, set dressing and other production goods that it has accumulated over the past three and half decades, as well as the building it uses for storage.

"It's going to be a total loss," Executive Artistic Director Rhonda Clark said.

"We had a warehouse when Stage Center flooded that had a bunch of stuff in it. So, we just lost mainly costumes, shoes, accessories in that flood and some furniture. But we were able to save some furniture, and it had the water damage to prove it," Clark said. "But this is worse than Stage Center. ... It's bad."

Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples said that the organization has been in touch with Rhonda and is working to connect her with national, regional, state and local resources.

Carpenter Square is scheduled to stage its next show "Ada and the Engine," April 9-May 1 at its 800 W Main venue.

"Even though it's a period drama, the set is very sparse using painted cubes," Lippert said. "Rhonda's plan is to buy props, costumes and pieces as we need them for each show and then just start rebuilding our inventory show by show."

Donations can be made at www.carpentersquare.com.

Read more on The Oklahoman.